San José Public Library eBooks, Audiobooks and Music Available Online
Page Contents: Introduction | eBook/eAudio Collections | Downloadable eBooks, Audio & Music | FAQs and Help
From this page you can access San José Public Library (SJPL) ebooks, audiobooks and music available online. Text and audio content are provided 2 ways:
• Online ebooks and audiobooks display, 1 page at time, on a computer connected to the Internet. Online content does not have to be checked out.
• Downloadable ebooks, audiobooks and music must be first checked out and then downloaded before being displayed or played offline. You may use downloadable content on a desktop or laptop computer, or transfer it to a portable device such as a PDA, smartphone or digital audio player.
eBook & eAudio Collections
Available Inside the Library or from Home — Titles from these SJPL collections are available to:
• Anyone on King Library and branch library computers, or
• SJLibrary card holders outside the library
NetLibrary
Online popular ebooks on business, legal self-help, computer science, economics, literature, psychology and more. More details... |
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TumbleBook Library
Online children’s picture books and chapter books with both text and audio together. This collection requires speakers or headphones for listening to the audio portion of the content. More details... |
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Downloadable eBooks, Audio and Music for Use on Non-Library Computers Only
Titles from the following collections are available to SJLibrary card holders outside the library. Although the titles can be browsed and checked out from library computers, they cannot be downloaded, displayed nor played on library computers.
MyiLibrary
Downloadable audio books, playable on both Macs and PCs. Can also be transferred to portable devices such as iPods, Palm PDAs and Smartphones. More details... |
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OverDrive Digital Library
Downloadable ebooks and audiobooks, focusing on popular fiction and non-fiction titles, and downloadable music. Formats include: PDF, EPUB, MobiPocket, WMA and MP3. More details... |
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Frequently Asked Questions and Help
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Why can't SJPL patrons have remote access to SJSU digital resources, and vice versa? |
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San José Library — as a collaboration of San José Public Library (SJPL) and San José State University (SJSU) Library — lets the clients of both libraries share hardcopy material owned by both libraries. For example, SJPL patrons can checkout SJSU books.
However, with electronic resources, the joint library must work within a restriction imposed by electronic resource providers — that the libraries limit remote access to their own clients. From the providers’ perspective, the clients of SJSU are the students and faculty of SJSU, and the clients of SJPL are library card holders.
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Why can't I use my SJSU ID number to log into OverDrive Library or MyiLibrary? |
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When you login to most of our electronic resources, you are logging into a library server which can handle either type of number. If you have both a library card and a SJSU ID number, you can log into the library server using either number, interchangeably. With some electronic resources, such as OverDrive and MyiLibrary, you are logging into a vendor server which cannot handle more than one type of number. When this happens with a public library resource, the number you need to use will be your library card number.
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Why don't both libraries subscribe to all the electronic resources? |
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To do so is too expensive and usually unnecessary. Subscription prices are based, in part, on the number of clients of an institution. The size of the SJPL clientele — the population of San José — is at least 32 times the size of the SJSU clientele. This is why SJSU, with a comparable budget to SJPL, can provide so many more databases. Also, the electronic resources of each library are selected for the clientele of that library and are not usually the best resources for the other library's clientele.
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What is the difference between the SJSU and SJPL collections? |
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The scope of both collections is similar: you can find something on most subjects in either collection. They differ in that the content is selected to meet the needs of the different clientele:
- The SJSU resources are specialized, are often written at a "scholarly" level, and are selected to support the SJSU curriculum.
- The SJPL resources are more general, have more "popular" or readable content, and are selected to meet the lifelong learning needs of the general community.
For most public users, the SJSU resources would be difficult to use. Still, any SJPL or SJSU customer using library equipment inside the King Library can access almost all electronic resources from either collection.
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When I try to log into my OverDrive Digital Library account I get the message - "There are unresolved issues with your account." |
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This message means there is a problem with your library account, not your OverDrive account.
- A typical problem that will trigger this message is when you have a fine exceeding $10 and/or an expired library account.
If you are issued a new library card, with a new number, and you have ebooks or audio books checked out or requested under an old card number, please contact Library eBook Support: sjplebooksupport@sjlibrary.org.
- You should be able to see what the problem is when you log into your library account.
- If you have questions about your library account, please contact Access Services (our circulation department) via email at circ.sjpl@sjlibrary.org or by calling (408) 808-2000. This number will take you to an automated menu. To speak directly to staff:
- Select your language (Option 1 is English)
- Select the choice "To renew library material or speak to staff about your library account..." (Option 2)
- Select the choice "To talk with staff about your library account..." (Option 2, again)
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If you are issued a new library card, with a new number, and you have ebooks or audio books checked out or requested under an old card number. |
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If you are issued a new library card, with a new number, and you have ebooks or audio books checked out or requested under an old card number, please contact Library eBook Support: sjplebooksupport@sjlibrary.org.
Your OverDrive account and library account are separate accounts—updating one does not update the other. If your library card number changes, i.e., your card is replaced, and you have made requests or have items checked out on your old number, you will no longer have access to these items. So that these items can be moved to your new number, please notify sjplebooksupport@sjlibrary.org of the change. Please include your old library card number, your new library card number and the email address used to place any requests. If you do not have any items checked out, nor any items on request, under your old number it is not necessary to notify Library eBook Support.
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How can I manage my email address at MyiLibrary? |
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At this time, there is no direct way to update your email address, for holds notification, after supplying it the first time you made a hold request. If you need to update it, contact Audio Customer Care with your name, library card number, and old and new email addresses.
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How can I suggest that the Library purchase an ebook for its collection? |
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You may suggest a purchase of a downloadable ebook, audiobook or music title using the same form for suggesting purchase of a hardcopy item. First, please check that the Library does not already have the item in its ebook collections. To reach this form from any SJLibrary.org page, select:
About Us > Contact Us > Suggest a Title for San José Public Library (SJPL) To Buy
Following is a direct link to Suggest a Purchase for SJPL Collections.
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What dedicated ebook readers support library ebooks? |
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- According to OverDrive, the Sony Reader supports the Adobe PDF and Adobe EPUB formats.
- The Kindle reader does not support library provided ebooks.
- Customers report that the Barnes & Noble Nook supports OverDrive ebooks but OverDrive will not verify this.
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Who do I contact for more help? |
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For help on how to look for an ebook or use a database: See Ask a Librarian
For technical support on:
Still Stumped? - Contact Library eBook Support: sjplebooksupport@sjlibrary.org
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